Career progression pathways

Learn more about career progression as a seafarer

Traditional career progression

Career progression for seafarers traditionally focuses on vertical progression - progressively higher levels of certification for a particular type of vessel, and/or more extensive operational limits.

The Seafarer Certification and Operational Limits Framework document shows how this structure applies for SeaCert certificates.

Seafarer Certification and Operational Limits Framework
PDF: 1.17, 73 pages
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Non-traditional career progression

Rather than progressing directly to higher-level certificates, some seafarers may prefer to move across vessel and certificate types. For example, they may wish to progress from fishing to non-fishing certificates and vice versa, moving either horizontally or diagonally.

Or they may choose to move from non-STCW to STCW certificates, and from management-level to operational or support-level certificates in the same or a different industry sector.